NBA Notebook: Former Grizzlies coach discusses Xavier Tillman's development

When Jaylen Brown dropped off a pass to Xavier Tillman Sr. in the corner during Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Dallas completely ignoring the Celtics big man, it recalled another moment earlier in his career with the Memphis Grizzlies. Where the conversations surrounding his jump shot began with a former Duke player and Memphis assistant named David McClure. 

"Even though he was a bigger body and he didn't shoot that many (threes) in college," McClure told Boston Sports Journal this week. "His mechanics were in a place where he might not be a go-to shooter, but that he could be a very, very serviceable, consistent shooter as long as he got his confidence up of letting it go ..."

" ... I'll never forget some of the moments he had for our team. The Golden State game (in the 2022 playoffs), where we're battling tooth-and-nail, we're in foul trouble, people are tired, we throw him in at the end of the game ... by no means was he expecting, in that moment, to really go in. He went in the game, I looked at he and I said, 'X, you've worked too hard ... to be hesitant in this moment ...,' he looked at me and said, 'I got you.' Little do you know, probably by design of Golden State's defense ... in a critical moment, the ball finds him in the corner, he doesn't hesitate, he catches the ball, he lets it go. Probably something that, at that point, only him and I knew he had put the time and effort to be ready for, and he knocked down a three that really put us in a position to take the win ... that was just X." 

Brown expressed the same confidence in Tillman Sr. ahead of what became the decisive win in the NBA Finals. He told Tillman he was going to try to find him. One round prior, Luke Kornet logged the primary backup big minutes behind Al Horford. Then, Kristaps Porziņģis returned for the start of the championship series, but quickly fell with a leg injury as his status fell into doubt for the rest of the series. As Luka Dončić pulled Boston's bigs to the perimeter on switches and Kornet battled his own wrist injury from the east finals, Tillman Sr. became Horford's primary backup entering the raucous environment in Dallas. He went from being squarely on the bench to switching onto Dončić, Kyrie Irving and taking a three in the third quarter of a 10-point game. Tillman Sr. finished the night a +9 in a seven-point win that effectively secured the Celtics their 18th championship. 

Tillman celebrated with his teammates and entered free agency. Kornet re-signed immediately when July began, and Tillman followed one day later with a two-year, minimum contract. A slight surprise in what's become a strong free-agency market for backup centers, who are scarce around the league. Tillman revealed at training camp this month that he wasn't thinking about leaving, overhauling his game or making any major changes this summer. He underwent surgery on his long ailing knee that made him miss time between Memphis and Boston last year. He spent time with his family while recovering. He focused on himself after a season as trying as triumphant. 

"It was more relaxing than anything," Tillman said. "More of a mental time. Taking the time for me personally. My dad passed away in May, so for me, it was more so to get away from life for a little bit and be able to sit with my thoughts and figure out my next steps, my family's next steps, how we're gonna progress and stuff like that. Not necessarily worried about (basketball), this is gonna be what whatever it's gonna be." 

He, nonetheless, looked ready when the Celtics thrust him into significant playing time in the Abu Dhabi preseason games just weeks removed from his return to the floor, shooting 2-for-3 from three while recording a pair of steals and a block. Already leaving Joe Mazzulla impressed by how quickly he picked up the team's concepts on both ends of the floor following his arrival in a February trade with the Grizzlies, Tillman set off-ball screens at solid angles, worked at the four and the five, and flashed an enticing combination alongside depth center Neemias Queta as the Celtics experiment with ways to limit the stress on Horford early in the season while Porziņģis misses time. Mazzulla didn't rule out bringing Horford off the bench to begin the year, even with Porziņģis out, which could create more opportunities for Kornet and Tillman. 

The three-point shooting intrigues most, the most straightforward way for Tillman to remain an offensive threat while contributing defensive impact that ranked among the best in the league last year. He also brings a solid post-up game that led to 1.60 points per possession in limited opportunities with the Celtics, originally expressing excitement about being able to go there more often when he arrived from Memphis. Tillman Sr. will likely key the game plans on nights that Horford misses, with three back-to-backs scheduled for the Celtics through November and five into early December, the approximate return date for Porziņģis. Boston will also focus some on maintaining Tillman Sr.'s health after knee problems that have persisted since his college days continued throughout last year. He recalled his knee swelling up after many games last year while appearing in only 54 games between his two teams. 

"He knew that was a reason that he needed to keep his weight at bay," McClure said, sharing experience from his own knee injuries with Tillman. "He was always talking to me about diet and different things that I did with my knee ... I'd told him I was riding the bike 30-40 minutes every morning, and how it started to make my knee feel better. I was kicking his ass on the court, he was doing however long in the weight room, he was doing however long with the medical staff, he would have practice with us, he was traveling, he had a dietician and then most people would say I'm doing enough. He took my challenge on, he started doing the bike 30 minutes every morning, and 20 minutes on game days, and we would push each other. We'd come in and be like, 'did you get your work in today?' And he would start coming in like, 'man, it's feeling better, ...' the amount of times on the road that I would see him at 8 a.m., 7:30 a.m., I might be finishing the bike and he's walking on the bike, and we would look at each other like, 'alright, let me know what your numbers are.'"

Brad Stevens has stressed fitting into the Celtics' team concept as much as talent as he's built the roster in recent years, and Tillman's experience shifting between playing consistently and losing minutes in Memphis prepared him for a similar role in Boston. McClure saw his care-free attitude at the Grizzlies' open practice, where the team traditionally makes its rookies dance, sing, or do something else embarrassing in front of the crowd. Tillman didn't care, he recalled, stepping onto the court and doing one of the best dances that had the entire team dying laughing. McClure went on to coach him from 2020-23 before a transition year began for Memphis, filled with injuries and overshadowed by Ja Morant's suspension at the start. The Grizzlies ultimately became a seller at the deadline, sending Tillman Sr. to Boston for Lamar Stevens and a pair of second-round picks. 

When McClure found out about the trade, Tillman's first in the NBA, he texted him and said he knew it'd be a shock, but reminded him that he had the chance to win a championship. 

"Every time I looked up, every time I'd get a text message on my phone or something would be like, 'did you see your man X last night?' The impact that he had, it was very similar," McClure said. "Where he wasn't called on every night, but I felt like whenever he was called on, and I knew with the coaching staff there and the team that they had, that the opportunity would come. So it didn't shock me that he'd be on the shelf, come in and make an impact ... I know every Boston fan was probably sitting there every time they ran into a little hiccup in the playoffs getting nervous, and it just seemed like he was the same old X. Didn't matter the game, didn't matter the pressure, he went in and at the very least was steady and calm, and brought energy." 

"He came to the bench one game in the playoffs and everyone was celebrating for him, because just like in Memphis, he worked so hard, he's such a great guy, it's impossible not to wish success for the kid ... they're gonna have to get used to that ... he's always gonna be ready." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta: No 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher made his Hawks preseason debut, scoring 18 points in 23 minutes on 7-of-9 shooting before second-year guard Seth Lundy returned from injury to hit a game-winning three over the Pacers. Risacher poured in 3-of-4 shots and added a flashy between-the-legs pass in a head-turning performance that showed obvious growth over his uneven Summer League performance. Jalen Johnson shot 8-for-12 with 19 points to lead all Hawks scorers. 

Boston: Al Horford sat out the Celtics' first two preseason games in Abu Dhabi, a pair of wins over the Nuggets where Luke Kornet played strong minutes in spot starts. Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, entering their fourth year playing alongside Kornet as part of Boston's bench, also showed out, Pritchard scoring 21 points on Friday and 14 more on Sunday. Joe Mazzulla didn't rule out Horford coming off the bench to begin the year. 

Jayson Tatum shot 6-for-14 from three (42.9%) between the two games, utilizing a subtly faster form. Jordan Walsh and Jaden Springer, entering their second seasons with the Celtics, played alongside the second unit both nights. Lonnie Walker IV, Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson played late in the fourth quarter in each. Wyc Grousbeck spoke to the Boston Globe about the impending sale, saying there's an open bid for the team beginning soon and co-owner Steph Pagliuca won't be given special consideration. Pagliuca is the only person to publicly announce interest in buying the Celtics since the sale was announced in June. Grousbeck also said he hopes there'll be a more extended transition period where he's part of the team's leadership after the majority share of 51% is expected to change hands before 2025. Boston continues the preseason against Philadelphia and Toronto at home on Saturday and Sunday before visiting Toronto for the finale on Tuesday. 

The Celtics received love in the preseason GM poll as the overwhelming championship favorite.

Brooklyn: Among the teams already battered with Day'Ron Sharpe and Trendon Watford suffering hamstring strains that will sideline them for multiple weeks. Nic Claxton is also dealing with hamstring soreness while Bojan Bogdanović remains without a timeline for a return following multiple surgeries earlier this year. Ben Simmons and Dorian Finney-Smith shared center duties on Tuesday against the Clippers with Claxton and Sharpe out. Simmons shot 1-for-5 with two points in 13 minutes in his return from back surgery. 

Chicago: Lonzo Ball is unlikely to play on Saturday, but revealed he hopes to play in a preseason game before making his return to basketball two seasons after a nearly career-devastating meniscus injury two years ago on opening night. Ball has been practicing fully with the Bulls in training camp after receiving a cartilage transplant that gave him new hope to play again. 

Cleveland: Donovan Mitchell believes the Cavaliers are poised to become contenders as he begins his third season with the team. 

“There’s always another level,” Mitchell said. “You feel that, and going against them, you definitely walk off the floor against Boston feeling like, all right, (Boston’s great). But I don’t think we’re far away.”

Dallas: Luka Dončić remains out with a calf injury and will likely miss the preseason after Jason Kidd discussed the Mavs needing to prepare in case Dončić isn't ready for opening night. PJ Washington (hip), Maxi Kleber (ankle) and Dante Exum (wrist) are also hurt, with Exum undergoing surgery this week that will sideline him for roughly three months. Spencer Dinwiddie, Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy are next up with Dončić down, with Kidd sounding most confident in Dinwiddie stepping into a starting role. Klay Thompson made his preseason debut, shooting 3-for-5 from three.

“What we are looking at right now is who can handle the backup point guard if Spencer has to start, or understand if we can start someone else and Spencer comes off the bench," he said. "We will look at different lineups here, we have two more games left, one in LA and one at home, just to see and be prepared if some of the guys that are hurt can’t go on the 24th." 

Denver: Wasn't an impressive showing from them in Abu Dhabi, losing the second exhibition against Boston in blowout fashion, albeit with Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Russell Westbrook sitting. Peyton Watson (hamstring) also missed both games, and his return will restore representative depth for the Nuggets, who saw positives from Julian Strawther and Christian Braun, who started as he likely will on opening night. Aaron Gordon said Denver has to improve internally and through new additions Westbrook and Dario Šarić, but this team looked as reliant as ever on Nikola Jokic following key offseason departures. No GMs selected the Nuggets to win the championship after 33% of them did so one year ago. 

Golden State: Life without Klay Thompson began comfortably for the Warriors in the preseason as Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga combined for 42 points in a win over the Kings. The Warriors tried going big with Trayce Jackson-Davis in the opener before shifting smaller on Friday with Kyle Anderson playing alongside Moody and Gary Payton II while Draymond Green slid over to center. A third unit included Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Kevon Looney. Golden State won all three games. The former Oracle Arena in Oakland will host some All Star Game events this year.

"With Klay gone, we need (Andrew Wiggins) to step up and be our second scorer after Steph," Steve Kerr said. "We know he's perfectly capable." 

Clippers: Unsure if Kawhi Leonard (knee) will be ready for the start of the regular season as the team tries to manage the inflammation that could plague Leonard for the rest of his career after it derailed his postseason in the spring. New backup center Mo Bamba (knee) is hopeful to return for the opener, but if he isn't, Ty Lue expressed confidence in new addition Kai Jones taking on that role after a tumultuous split with the Hornets to begin his career. Jones played 29 minutes on Friday while Terance Mann, Derrick Jones Jr. and Amir Coffey joined James Harden and Ivica Zubac in the starting lineup. Harden believes in LA despite Leonard's status and Paul George's departure. 

Lakers: Exploring adding another center to the training camp mix with Christian Wood down following surgery and Christian Koloko awaiting clearance from the NBA to return from blood clot issues. With Jarred Vanderbilt also still recovering from foot surgery, Jaxson Hayes and Maine Celtics center from one year ago Kylor Kelley are the only active LA bigs alongside Anthony Davis. As he and LeBron James prepare to take the court together for a moment early in the regular season, Bronny James' struggles transitioning to the NBA continued to begin the preseason. He posted the worst preseason plus-minus of any player in the league. LeBron and Bronny became the first father and son to take an NBA court together this week. LeBron also took time to complain about LA's exhibition travel schedule. The week prior, he clapped back at comments made about him by C's announcer Drew Carter.

Memphis: Ja Morant suffered a preseason ankle sprain that shouldn't impact his availability on opening night after further evaluation. Marcus Smart is one of the decreasing number of Grizzlies healthy to begin the year, and is high on rookie big man Zach Edey, who's expected to earn a major role early this season. He praised what Edey's size will allow Smart and Jaren Jackson Jr. to do defensively, adding that the Morant-Edey pick-and-roll will be deadly. Edey combined for 16 points and 11 rebounds in Memphis' first two preseason games, starting in both. Smart played limited minutes in them. 

Miami: Jimmy Butler starred alongside Jayson Tatum in the Netflix Starting 5 documentary and revealed that he lost his father in February, which caused him to step away from the team for three games. 

Milwaukee: Doc Rivers expressed his surprise over the Lakers firing Darvin Ham as the Bucks hosted Ham's former Lakers. Ham joined a Milwaukee team he already coached from 2018-2022. That already gave Ham, Rivers said, more familiarity than he had. 

"I’m not going to get into the whole thing that happened there, but he took a team to a Western Finals, and then the following year, he won the in-season tournament, which they say we should have a lot of value on, and then they release him," Rivers said. "It literally makes no sense, but it happens. It happens to all of us. It’s part of what we do. But Darvin Ham’s a coach, he should be on the sidelines, and I wanted him next to me.”

Delon Wright (shoulder) missed the team's loss to LA and Gary Trent Jr. (elbow) returned after getting hurt in the previous game.

Minnesota: Donte DiVincenzo to return to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night for the Timberwolves' preseason finale and his first appearance in New York since the Knicks traded him for Karl-Anthony Towns. Julius Randle will likely remain out as he continues the finals stages of his recovery from shoulder surgery, but Shams Charania reported that Randle could receive clearance to return sometime next week, which would position him to play on opening night. Their former New York teammates praised them and predicted they'll receive loud ovations from the MSG crowd for their efforts. 

“I think the whole thing was quick and kind of unusual,” Josh Hart said. “A trade three days before training camp started, so that was already kind of weird because that weekend you’re kind of gearing up for training camp that upcoming Monday. So that was unusual, and then obviously we’ve gotta play them on Sunday. It’s a little unusual, but the NBA’s a crazy business.”

New Orleans: Could start Zion Williamson at center with Herb Jones taking on some of the position's duties. That would place the Pelicans' traditional centers Daniel Theis and rookie Yves Missi on the bench and give the Pelicans one of, if not the, smallest lineups in the NBA. President David Griffin downplayed concerns about the five as training camp opened, and keeping Williamson away from perimeter assignments makes some sense defensively. Williamson is 6-6 and Jones stands 6-7, 206 pounds. There's optimism that a motivated Williamson could be entering his best year yet. 

New York: Brian Windhorst and Fred Katz broke down all the small moves that made the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster possible for the Knicks, with any of them potentially making a deal impossible if they played out differently. They included signing Jalen Brunson to a contract with descending salaries in 2021, as they did with Mitchell Robinson, declined to offer Precious Achiuwa the qualifying offer and moved back in the draft and paid first-round pick Pacôme Dadiet 80% of his rookie scale salary. An offer that he accepted because he did not want to remain in Europe. The Knicks also had three players eligible to be moved in sign-and-trades due to their presence on the roster last year, the final step in dealing for Towns while staying under the second apron, which they were hard capped at by trading for Mikal Bridges. Towns has averaged 17.5 PPG and 8.0 RPG on 33.3% shooting this preseason. He faces his former Timberwolves team at 6 p.m. on Saturday in New York. GQ profiled the Villanova Knicks team that never was. 

Orlando: The NBA cancelled Friday's preseason game between the Pelicans and Magic due to the ongoing impact of Hurricane Milton, which struck the center of Florida. It also impacted the Heat, who had their preseason game against the Hawks postponed. Milton, which became a category five hurricane prior to making landfall in Florida, killed at least 14 people and destroyed hundreds of homes. The Magic continue their preseason schedule on Friday. 

Philadelphia: Visit the Celtics on Saturday at 8 p.m. after Joel Embiid sat out their preseason-opening trip to Minnesota. Paul George shot 8-for-15 with 23 points, six rebounds and two assists against the Wolves in his team debut. Guerschon Yabusele makes his return to TD Garden after last playing there in April of 2019 prior to his departure to Real Madrid following Boston waiving him. Danny Green retired on Thursday after 15 NBA seasons. He won championships with the Spurs, Raptors and Lakers before spending a small part of the 2023-24 season with the 76ers. Only four players have accomplished that feat, including his 2020 teammate LeBron James. Green tore his ACL and LCL during the 2022 playoffs with Philadelphia, which marked the beginning of the end of his career. Green will continue his media career in retirement. 

Portland: Robert Williams III (hamstring) is on track to return in the two-week timeline, in time for the Blazers' regular season. Despite that, he faces significant competition for the team's backup center duties between floor-spacing big Duop Reath and rookie Donovan Clingan. Williams is already taking part in some training camp activities after getting injured in only his second practice back from knee surgery that derailed his first season with the Blazers early. Dalano Banton, back for year two with Portland, could be part of the team's rotation with Shaedon Sharpe (shoulder) out 4-6 weeks. 

Head coach Chauncey Billups enters the Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend. 

Toronto: RJ Barrett will miss at least the rest of the preseason with a sprained AC joint in his right, non-shooting shoulder. 

Utah: Keyonte George left the Jazz' win over the Mavericks on Wednesday with a left knee sprain and did not return. The Utah Hockey Club made their NHL debut after moving from Phoenix, Arizona (Coyotes) this offseason, joining the Jazz in the Delta Center with a sold-out crowd that required additional seating. The game broke the arena's alcohol sales record. They're expected to receive a name in the near future. 

Washington: Malcolm Brogdon underwent surgery on a torn ligament in his right thumb, which will sideline him indefinitely, though the typical timeline lasts 6-8 weeks. The injury, suffered in a preseason practice, will keep him out of the start of his first season with the Wizards, who acquired him in the Deni Avdija trade with Portland, and force him to miss another game against his former Celtics team, who visit Washington on Oct. 24.